Anyone deciding to the UK route instead?

[remotercharm 31]

From a bit of research I've done the UK is still processing visas and people are getting them.  The expensive price for UK visas suddenly seems worth it.  For example, if you pay priority you can get it in 10 days.

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by remotercharm

[Loren Y 2,732]

Only visa I have ever seen issued in about 10 days is a tourist visa, and that would be a impressive timeline. Can't believe anyone got a CR1 Spousal Visa in 10 days, I don't care how much you pay. Takes 30 days for it to be received at the lock box alone after you mail it. Hopefully someone else knows more about this, but I just can't believe it.

[remotercharm 31]

3 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Only visa I have ever seen issued in about 10 days is a tourist visa, and that would be a impressive timeline. Can't believe anyone got a CR1 Spousal Visa in 10 days, I don't care how much you pay. Takes 30 days for it to be received at the lock box alone after you mail it. Hopefully someone else knows more about this, but I just can't believe it.

Here is the timeline thread: 

Even non priority visas are going relatively quick:.  This person applied the day before our k1 interview was scheduled (and cancelled) and already have their fiance visa now.

Edited October 6, 2020 by remotercharm

[RadChan 84]

25 minutes ago, remotercharm said:

From a bit of research I've done the UK is still processing visas and people are getting them.  The expensive price for UK visas suddenly seems worth it.  For example, if you pay priority you can get it in 10 days.

 

Do you mean a UK visa for a US Spouse to live in the UK? In which case, I have heard it usually takes the same about of time. Would be shocked if this is true. 

[remotercharm 31]

2 minutes ago, RadChan said:

Do you mean a UK visa for a US Spouse to live in the UK? In which case, I have heard it usually takes the same about of time. Would be shocked if this is true. 

Yes.  The UK process has always been faster because they turn a huge profit with very expensive fees.  But it also means they have a lot more employees and resources, I would surmise. They also have a priority option where you pay even more to get it fast tracked for no other reason than you want it faster, which the US doesn't have.  The person in the screenshot used this option (priority).

Edited October 6, 2020 by remotercharm

[RadChan 84]

7 minutes ago, remotercharm said:

Yes.  The UK process has always been faster because they turn a huge profit with very expensive fees.  But it also means they have a lot more employees and resources, I would surmise. They also have a priority option where you pay even more to get it fast tracked for no other reason than you want it faster, which the US doesn't have.  The person in the screenshot used this option (priority).

Hmm I would be surprised if anyone in this forum had changed to the UK route (or at least if they were still active on here after doing that!). If you can get it in 10 days, that is amazing! Is there a similar site to VisaJourney dealing with UK visas instead of US ones? If so, you might have some more luck there or be able to get an idea of how common it is. 

[remotercharm 31]

1 minute ago, RadChan said:

Hmm I would be surprised if anyone in this forum had changed to the UK route (or at least if they were still active on here after doing that!). If you can get it in 10 days, that is amazing! Is there a similar site to VisaJourney dealing with UK visas instead of US ones? If so, you might have some more luck there or be able to get an idea of how common it is. 

The fact they're processing them at all is much better than the US situation.  The fact we are totally in the dark when it comes to getting the k1 here is miserable.  It could be a year or two for all we know.  Even the non priority option where people are getting there fiance visas in 6 months is much better.

[RadChan 84]

4 minutes ago, remotercharm said:

The fact they're processing them at all is much better than the US situation.  The fact we are totally in the dark when it comes to getting the k1 here is miserable.  It could be a year or two for all we know.  Even the non priority option where people are getting there fiance visas in 6 months is much better.

Yeah, I sympathise, this year has been a total nightmare and the US embassy in London have not been helpful in terms of releasing solid information and time lines (and you can't even contact them anymore since all you get is a copy and paste email reply or an automated phone line telling you to look online). 

 

If you are K1, it may be worth looking into. Saying that, the embassy did release a vague post last month or so about how they were looking into expanding visa processing soon, or something along those lines. What that actually means is anyone's guess. 

 

Good luck and I hope you figure out a way to be together soon!

[PBabz 137]

37 minutes ago, RadChan said:

Hmm I would be surprised if anyone in this forum had changed to the UK route (or at least if they were still active on here after doing that!). 

It's something my husband and I have talked about; certainly our long term plan is to return to the UK when he retires in a few years (he's military) but we have also said if anything goes wrong or things seem to be taking too long for me to get stateside with him, we will just make the UK our home because he loves it here and we know the process is much more expeditious and I can support us with my salary until he gets on his feet.

 

I understand not everyone maybe has that same flexibility, but if it were purely a comparison of ease in the process and less time spent apart, the UK is the better option and from my recollection has been. Granted as @remotercharm said, the fees are quite substantial in return.

[Loren Y 2,732]

1 hour ago, remotercharm said:

Here is the timeline thread: 

Even non priority visas are going relatively quick:.  This person applied the day before our k1 interview was scheduled (and cancelled) and already have their fiance visa now.

Okay, I understand now. That's US citizen going to the UK. I can believe that. No way a US spousal visa is getting issued in 10 days. Also the fact that at any given time there are maybe 100 people that want to immigrate to the UK, compared to 100,000 a month wanting to immigrate to the US. 

[RadChan 84]

21 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Okay, I understand now. That's US citizen going to the UK. I can believe that. No way a US spousal visa is getting issued in 10 days. Also the fact that at any given time there are maybe 100 people that want to immigrate to the UK, compared to 100,000 a month wanting to immigrate to the US. 

100 people? This might be true for somewhere like Lichtenstein or Iceland, but the UK issued 768,000 non-visitor visas in 2019 (including long-term student visas or for those coming for work or family reasons). I am sure that is a lot less than in the US, but still a sizable number considering the UK population is only around 20% of the US population 😄

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by RadChan

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Back in 1996 when I got my spousal visa to the UK, it took about three hours. My then-husband and I showed up at the consulate in New York with a check, and our passports, birth certificates, marriage certificate and CVs. I filled out the forms while I waited to be seen, and had my passport photos taken there. We had a pleasant chat with a vice-consul for about half an hour, most of which involved my husband talking to the VC about their shared alma mater. He looked at our CVs for about 30 seconds and said, "Right, you two look like decent sorts, go have a slap up lunch and come back for the visa." I think it cost about $350, plus train fare from New Haven.

 

No background check, no income requirement, no nothing. He liked the cut of our collective jib and that was sufficient. Different times.

[Boiler 43,668]

When I came to the US mine took a year, friend of mine brought his bride from India to the UK in less than 30 days, he could have paid for it to be processed quicker.

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

We did the UK spouse visa last year. We did priority but it still took at least a month. Much more paperwork involved but we had the benefit of living together in the US at the time of filing.

[Morgan5698 58]

My wife moved to the U.K. with me 3 years ago. Took about 3 months - non priority. I know some people that paid the extra for priority, some people had theirs in 6 weeks, some were longer than 3 months. I’ve recently been issued ir1 to US and in all honesty (Covid aside) I found the US route much easier. The U.K. route (very very expensive in comparison) was more automated, and less flexibility  for error, and much more stringent in specifics of documents, all of which caused added stress. Everyone’s case is different of course, but that’s my side by side comparison.